DGCA ( Director General of Civil Aviation) has issued rules for airlines of pay passengers for denied boarding, cancellation and delays in flights. With time the number of passengers for airlines have dramatically increased which resulted in lot of traffic in the air and ultimately lot of people in the queue waiting to get board.
The rules issues by DGCA is good news for passengers as right action can be taken to make sure proper protection for the air travelers in case of flight disruptions and, in particular, denied boarding, flight cancellations and delays without due notice to the passengers booked on the flight(s).
The document is available here and is passed under CAR Section 3 Series ‘M’ Part IV – Facilities to be provided to passengers by airlines due to denied boarding, cancellation of flights and delays in flights.This will be effective from 15th August 2010.
However the compensation will be made only of it’s the fault of airlines. If the reasons are beyond the control or Airlines, nothing will be compensated.
Lets take a look when the Airlines are not liable to pay back :
- The cancellations and delays have been caused due to political instability, natural disaster, civil war, insurrection or riot, flood, explosion, government regulation or order affecting the aircraft, strikes and labour disputes causing cessation, slowdown or interruption of work or any other factors that are beyond the control of the airline.
- Airlines are liable to pay any compensation in respect of cancellations and delays clearly attributable to Air Traffic Control (ATC), meteorological conditions, security risks, or any other causes that are beyond the control of the airline but which affect their ability to operate flights on schedule.
- When the number of passengers, who have been given confirmed bookings for travel on the flight and who have reported for the flight well within the specified time ahead of the departure of the flight, are more than the number of seats available, an airline must first ask for volunteers to give up their seats so as to make seats available for other booked passengers to travel on the flight, in exchange of such benefits/facilities as the airline, at its own discretion, may wish to offer, provided airports concerned have dedicated check-in facilities/gate areas which make it practical for the airline to do so.
How much compensation will be made ?
- Rs. 2,000/- or the value of the ticket whichever is less for flights having a block time of upto and including one hour
- Rs. 3.000/- or the value of the ticket whichever is less for flights having block time of more than one hour and upto and including two hours.
- Rs. 4,000/- or the value of the ticket whichever is less for flights having a block time of more than two hours.
If the cost of the ticket is less than the amount of compensation indicated above, the airline will be liable to compensate an amount equivalent to the ticket cost in addition to refund of air ticket. - The compensation shall be paid in cash, by bank transfer or with the signed agreement of the passenger in the form of travel vouchers.
Additionally, the passenger shall be offered the choice between the following:
- Refund of air ticket at the price it was purchased.
- A flight to the first point of departure.
- Alternate transportation under comparable/alternate mode of transport (whenever applicable), to the final destination.
- Alternate transportation under comparable/alternate mode of transport (whenever applicable), to their final destination at a later date at the passengers’ convenience, subject to availability of seats.